‘British completely changed our mindset, made us believe our traditions were wrong’: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said that repeated invasions and British rule led Indians to accept ideas that were not part of their traditions, asserting that the British “completely changed our mindset” by making people believe their traditions were wrong.

Speaking at the ‘Vishwa Mangalya Sabha’ event in Delhi, Bhagwat said, “We forgot ourselves. Examples of this can be found in our literature from the Mahabharata period. A great massacre occurred, and that forgetfulness gained momentum.”

“The history of a thousand years is unknown. Based on a few great men, that entire tradition was rebuilt. After that, a series of invasions began. Because of this, we had to accept many things that were not part of our tradition, not in our thinking,” he added.

#WATCH | Delhi | At the ‘Vishwa Mangalya Sabha’ event, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said, “…we forgot ourselves… Examples of this can be found in our literature from the Mahabharata period… A great massacre occurred, and that forgetfulness gained momentum… The history of a… pic.twitter.com/Oppec5dSqj

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2026

Bhagwat said people adopted certain practices “for our own safety” and others “under pressure from foreign invaders”, adding that British rule had a significant impact on the country’s mindset. “We did some for our own safety, some under pressure from foreign invaders, and the last one was the British. It completely changed our mindset, believing that our traditions, based on our experience, are wrong, and theirs are right,” the RSS chief said.

Bhagwat also spoke about the impact of emerging technologies and said society should not fear them but instead harness them for the benefit of humanity. “Now so many new technologies are coming. There will be no need to fear them. We will harness technology, become masters of it, use it for the benefit of humanity, and we will create a contemporary expression of motherhood and all such things through our lives. This is our power,” he said.

He further cautioned against what he described as movements seeking to destroy “everything that is considered auspicious, cultural, and legal prohibitions” and said that unchecked materialistic thinking could lead to conflict.

#WATCH | Delhi | At the ‘Vishwa Mangalya Sabha’ event, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said, “…now so many new technologies are coming… There will be no need to fear them. We will harness technology, become masters of it, use it for the benefit of humanity, and we will create a… pic.twitter.com/2G5ne5DETG

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2026

“There are people who work with a pledge to destroy everything that is considered auspicious, cultural, and legal prohibitions in the world today, and in a way, anarchy is created, because the world needs change… This is the kind of movement society takes,” Bhagwat said.

“But when such a storm of materialistic thought comes, all this stops, and because of it, everything goes upside down. The resources of creation are limited, and our aspirations are unlimited; then this means competition. This will lead to conflict. It’s natural. The strong will win,” he added.

The two-day National Enlightenment Meeting, held on July 23 and 24 under the theme “Nation Building through Motherhood,” brought together around 280 women from across the country to deliberate on contemporary motherhood, changing social realities and the role of mothers in preserving India’s family system.

The concluding session was attended by more than 900 women leaders and distinguished participants, while between 2,000 and 2,500 women had registered for the dialogue on the theme.

The release stated that in 2026, Vishwa Mangalya Sabha organised conventions across 23 provinces, engaging nearly 37,000 women. The organisation is active in 33 provinces in India, with nearly six lakh women associated with its initiatives, and has expanded to 14 countries.

Founded in 2010 in Nagpur under the guidance of Param Pujya Acharya Swami Jitendranath Ji Maharaj, Vishwa Mangalya Sabha works to promote women’s leadership, value-based upbringing, social awareness and community service through the guiding principles of Sanskar (Values), Samarthya (Capability), Sadachar (Character) and Seva (Service), the release added. (ANI)